What happens to Klingons who are good tactics but suck at melee?

Even though it doesn't exist on screen, there would have to be more nuance to this society than what turns up on tv, or indeed in the books, if it were to be a ... realistic ... society. Surely there must be many different forms of this society, many layers and different aptitudes - not simply the one-uniform wearing kind of monosociety we are most familiar with? Also surely our view of the society is skewed by seeing through its aristocracy, whose martial believes might be very different from other classes, and the depiction of which cannot genuinely reflect values and cultures from different worlds - each with hundreds of years of linked-yet-separate development.

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Not all Klingons are warriors, just the majority of the ones we see on screen. In "Playing God" Dax can be seen flirting with a fat Klingon cook with an opera voice. In "Rules of Engagement" we see that Klingon lawyer who was actually a pretty cool and provacative character. And in one of Kor's DS9 episodes, he complains that young people are now opening resturants and opera halls among the aliens he killed in battle when he was young.

I wonder about warrior klingons meeting the cook or any other klingon living in the Carnellian Regency or the Federation or on Bajor. Do they ahve to challange them and kill them for being honorless petaq's because they left the Empire or they just treat them as they threat klingon peasants or engeeniers back home?

Even though it doesn't exist on screen, there would have to be more nuance to this society than what turns up on tv, or indeed in the books, if it were to be a ... realistic ... society. Surely there must be many different forms of this society, many layers and different aptitudes - not simply the one-uniform wearing kind of monosociety we are most familiar with? Also surely our view of the society is skewed by seeing through its aristocracy, whose martial believes might be very different from other classes, and the depiction of which cannot genuinely reflect values and cultures from different worlds - each with hundreds of years of linked-yet-separate development.

Click to expand...

Not all Klingons are warriors, just the majority of the ones we see on screen. In "Playing God" Dax can be seen flirting with a fat Klingon cook with an opera voice. In "Rules of Engagement" we see that Klingon lawyer who was actually a pretty cool and provacative character. And in one of Kor's DS9 episodes, he complains that young people are now opening resturants and opera halls among the aliens he killed in battle when he was young.

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Completely, and I loved the complexification of civilian society in The Left Hand of Destiny and Gorkon books too; however, I was more meaning a diversity within the empire's martial traditions, since the empire is large, hundreds of years old and complex - as well as dominated by aristocratic households who - if like the households of earth's past empires (including those of modernity, such as the British, Russian and French Empires) split in different territories - would vary, as much as linguistic and artistic trends vary from one region to another. But that is a poor analogy, since the empire on screen is a claustrophobic monosociety (linguistically, artistically and maritally), whereas the aforementioned empires were anything but.

It will probably take quite a bit of maneuvering to keep your reputation intact if you cower behind a wall of bodyguards. It may be that this only ever happens if the young man or woman being protected is under the wing of a respected and highly positioned patron or matron whose virtue goes unchallenged. (I wonder if Krax had bodyguards - and if those took a step back every time somebody like Worf threw a legitimate challenge at the boy?)

I believe that during a "formal" challenge,it is the right of the Challenger to choose the weapon of choice. Though as we've seen, most challenges occur on the spur of the moment with what ever is available at hand, usually a dk'tagh or bat'leth.

Yup, I meant Drex the Klingon son rather than Krax the Ferengi son. Sorry about that!

But the Earth tradition on challenges is that the one issuing the challenge is not at liberty to choose the weapons - if anything, the party being challenged is, but that's a somewhat rare interpretation of the "rules". Generally, the two sides will come to some sort of an agreement about the terms of the fight before the fight takes place, but with so many variables there that Klingons would no doubt grow weary of the proceedings and slay everybody involved. They have never been shown discussing the terms, or arguing about the choice of weapons - but sword is countered by sword rather than by disruptor or starship, so presumably the Klingons have ideas about this. It would appear a bit unlikely that a "nerdy" strategic genius would get to choose a weapon allowing him to defeat a master swordsman.

You can't just challenge someone to combat without good cause, and certainly not someone of high rank or social status. If that person's bodyguards (or even just the onlookers) see that the challenge isn't valid, they'll kill the challenger for his impertinence. As has been mentioned, Klingon society simply has to have evolved these checks and balances, to prevent total chaos.

You can't just challenge someone to combat without good cause, and certainly not someone of high rank or social status. If that person's bodyguards (or even just the onlookers) see that the challenge isn't valid, they'll kill the challenger for his impertinence. As has been mentioned, Klingon society simply has to have evolved these checks and balances, to prevent total chaos.